Lethality
by Kaoruke
Summary: Curiosity killed the cat, and satisfaction brought it back. (Semi-serious.)
1. Tricks and Treats

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Awakening, nor anything in the Fire Emblem franchise!**

**Ratings/Warnings: T. Overall, there might be swearing and dark themes. Because, Henry, again. **

**Pairings: It's Gaius/Henry BUT HEAR ME OUT.**

**Other: I can't believe I did this. **

* * *

><p><em>Crinkle, crinkle. <em>

A soft sound, that of a wrapper being toyed with, is discarded as the paper film drifts to the floor out of laziness; the candy within seen as the prize and its wrapper only serves as the obstacle to the main goal.

What a sweet goal, that is.

He can taste it all around. As the small treat is moved every which way, every taste bud on his tongue can feel it, sample it. The candy is of green apple flavor, so it leaves a little tinge of sourness, a bitter bite to sugary bliss. Small noises of consumption are made: the parting of lips, small hums of satisfaction, and even the sound of a quiet giggle.

Oh, this is _really _sweet.

Henry really shouldn't be eating candy, especially candy that belonged to Gaius. But the latter had left his quarters, leaving them vacant and the entrance ajar, almost _begging _for the likes of Henry to come in and tamper with things.

The Dark Mage had admired the small array of daggers and other thief-esque objects on the counter, and smiled when he saw a list of 'candy inventory' on the thief's bed. While the scent of sugar overwhelmed Gaius' abode, the blond noticed there was no candy to be found; no sweets to be discovered.

_Meaning his stash is hidden here somewhere!_

Needless to say, the boy had hexed this place, revealing all of its secrets (some which actually surprised him, and he had to keep a mental note to use this as blackmail material sometime.) and discovered a disgustingly large amount of sweets hidden underneath the ground.

Clever, but not clever enough. Magic could solve any problem, as seen here.

Shortly thereafter, Henry began indulging himself in an evil montage, clearly enjoying himself despite the wrong nature of these doings. Cupcakes were consumed, lollipops devoured, and small toffees and tarts eaten up like air. Henry has not the stomach for handling all these sweets, but he did't care. Even if it sickened him to the bone, it didn't cause _real _pain (if there were ouchies involved, he wouldn't be there!) and therefore he kept eating.

He must have been on the hundredth snack when Gaius returned to his retreat.

The thief has an uncanny ability to remain completely stone-faced, even in the presence of eminent danger.

At least, that's what he liked to believe.

A lollipop was placed precariously in his mouth, large bag of secrets hoisted over his shoulder, his other hand by his side.

_Blink, blink. _

No visible changes are made in his expression, although Henry swears he saw his lips twitch.

"Junior," Gaius begins, stepping forward, "Y'know this is my tent, right?"

"Totally! I could smell the diabetes from a mile away!"

"Right...so, why the hell are you in here then?"

The ginger throws his things to the floor, standing up tall now that there wasn't a burden over his shoulder. He had height over the Dark Mage, that was for sure. But despite calling him 'Junior' it was obvious they were in the same age group, even if Gaius out-stood and out-muscled him.

_Not like I need more body mass, anyways! We can all bleed the same~_

"'Cause I wanted to be! You've got a _lot _of candy, by the way!"

Another twitch, but nothing more. He's got to remain sharp, clear, cut...he's gotta act like he has control over this situation, and that Henry is at _his _mercy.

So why is he smiling like that?

"Get out," he simply says, "get out, or I'll stab ya. Got no qualms about doing it, too, since you're into that stuff."

The mage smiles, and simply crosses his legs as he reclines back in his seat. "No can do! 'Cause here is where the candy is, and I can't leave until my blood is as thick as the caramel, as sweet as the sugar in all these treats!"

"...If that's the case..."

* * *

><p>Henry is limping around the barracks, trailing blood over the new carpet. Ricken is the first to notice him, and quickly takes action as he sees this.<p>

"Henry! What happened? You're a mess!"

The darker boy laughs, clutching his side as a profuse amount of crimson pooled over, dripping down the length of his clothes.

"Got in trouble~ Gaius is scary, sometimes!"

"Gaius?" Ricken repeated, blinking at the other.

"No, I'm Henry! Silly."

"No, I mean! You got in trouble with Gaius?"

"Yeah! Because I started to eat all his candy, and he got angry. Next thing I know, I'm bleeding in _five _different places!"

"_Henry. _This is serious, let's get you to Lissa or Maribelle right away-"

"Actually, make that _six!_" And the mage coughs, red spewing from his mouth; accompanied small dots spraying forth and landing on the wooden table. Ricken winces, taking a step back, before deciding to regain his composure, and grabbing the other by their arm.

"Idiot. If I hear you doing stuff again, it'll be _seven._"

"Hey, isn't that a lucky number? Not that luck matters if you're mortal."

"If you don't shut up, it'll be eight."

* * *

><p><em>Crunch, crunch. <em>

The sound of something hard being chewed on, teeth barely having the strength or grip to break through its substance. Little flakes and pieces chip off upon consumption, only making the treat more desirable.

_Munch, munch. _

A smile is on his face, as always. Almost as if he was a picture, and had this expression decorated on him with permanent paint. Still, this expression is genuine, for once, as Henry is truly pleased by his actions.

He managed to steal a pecan pie from the kitchen. Gaius had been baking it, but Henry plotted a perfect scheme, involving his crows. The birds had made a loud crashing noise by pushing over a barrel in the adjoining room, making the thief (who was much more compassionate than people thought) inspect it. This gave Henry just enough time to snag the pie, and leave before Gaius even saw him.

It was perfect.

But, the orange-haired male was not an idiot, and would surely catch on. It'd be a matter of minutes, before a displeased Gaius would walk through, eyes set to kill as they lay upon Henry's personage-

"HENRY."

Ah, there it was.

"Henry, I don't know what's your problem, but I'd appreciate you not pulling this crap on me today. Or any day."

He appears in front of him, angrily stepping through the doorway, offset by the other's sheer _stupidity. _

"I didn't pull anything yet! Looks like you'll pull a muscle with that frown, though!"

"Shut the _hell _up," Gaius growled, stepping forward, "Junior, you've got yourself in a bad way, here."

"Hehehe. We'll see about that, Honeybuns!"

"Honeyb-..._what_ did you just call me."

"You called me Junior, so I'll call you Honeybuns. It's only fair."

The thief was clearly displeased, face nearly _scowling _at the other, and it was only with great restraint did he prevent himself from knocking out the other; right then and there.

"How is that _fair? _Nothing you've been doing has been _fair._"

"Is the _thief _preaching about fairness? Pigs must be flying!"

There was only so much a man could take. But, it was hard to just accept these bouts of mockery when the man who's doing it has stolen your sweets, your pie, and your dignity.

In _his _kitchen, too.

Gaius gave a small sigh, and pulled a dagger from his cloak.

"If the pigs don't fly..."

Henry giggled, but felt a _tiny _speck of doubt and worry within him.

"...then _you _will."

* * *

><p>For the second time, in just two days, Henry was seen limping around the Barracks again. Just like before, blood was pooling over his clothes, oozing down the light and sheer clothing of his Dark Mage garb. Similar to yesterday, a smile was on his face, and a hand to his side in order to support the <em>crippling <em>pain he felt.

Boy, oh _boy, _did Gaius pack a punch. One would think all that sugar would slow him down, but it was quite the opposite.

"Henry?!"

And, another similarity to the 24 hours before; Ricken was there, seeing his Mage friend suffering _again. _

Was this to become a routine? Ricken hoped not, for _Henry's _sake.

"That's me~ Hey, my head is swimming but we're not underwater! Isn't that _weird?_"

The smaller boy ran to his side, helping the injured mage stay steady and conscious. He wore a frown of disapproval, and exhaled loudly as a result of it.

"Don't tell me you got into a fight with Gaius again."

"Okay, I won't."

"_Henry._"

"What? You asked me not to tell you!"

Then, on cue, powerful gusts of wind blew from Ricken's direction, effectively sending Henry off his feet and farther away; the gales carried him like a feather on a stream.

An _oof _escaped his lips, as he landed on his bottom. It didn't hurt as much as it should have, but in Henry's condition he couldn't be spared even the _slightest _of injuries.

He looked up (or in the general direction which was 'up'), and tilted his head with a small smile.

"Now, what was _that _for?"

"Could you _quit _it for a moment? I needed to blow some common sense into you. Stop messing with Gaius; you keep getting hurt! Maribelle's going to be _so angry _at you! Now-"

Ricken helped the other up to his feet (Henry wasn't very heavy _at all, _so picking him up was an easy job, even for Ricken.) and quickly dragged him to the healing tents.

"...If this happens again, I'm _letting _you bleed to the floor."

"Yessir!"

"Why do you keep messing with that thief, anyways?"

This question made Henry pause for a moment, humming as he tapped his chin, as if doing so would help him procure a response. After that, he snapped his fingers with an 'Aha!' and smiled at Ricken.

"'Cause he's funny! And cute when he's angry."

The mage rolled his eyes. "It's not going to be so _cute _when he kills you by accident."

"If he does, I hope it's not painful-"

"_Henry._"

"Sorry!"


	2. Sticks and Stones

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Awakening, nor anything in the Fire Emblem franchise!**

**Ratings/Warnings: T. Swearing, dark themes, etc. **

**Pairings: Gaius/Henry with platonic Henry/Ricken. **

**Other: I'm so happy I did this. I can't wait for the new Fire Emblem game to come out!**

* * *

><p>Henry was more cautious this time around. Since the double incidents he's had with Gaius, he was wise enough to not tread <em>too far <em>into the other's territory, but still made a point of taunting him from a distance.

For example, he wouldn't ravage through the thief's stash this time, but he _would _steal a lollipop or two now and then. He wouldn't even save it for later, the dark mage would then devour the candies in eyesight of Gaius, hoping that with each lick and low hum of satisfaction, the other would get annoyed or worse.

And, boy, if looks could _kill _Henry would be dead, ten times over!

Of course, it always occurred to Henry, that Gaius was simply _overreacting. _They were just sweets, after all. He could always buy more!

That, however, is exactly what Gaius thought himself, only Henry didn't limit his tomfoolery to sweets-stealing. He made a point to play cruel tricks on the other, black magic spells and other little hindrances, to payback for all the _ouchies _he received those days ago.

From Gaius going temporarily blind, to having stomachaches when any sugar was imbibed, to even having his hair become bright purple for a whole day-one could say that Henry was a bit too cruel with his revenge.

But, revenge is a dish best served cold, and since Gaius was such a _hothead, _he'd have to amp up the stakes. That's what he told himself, anyways.

Besides, Gaius made him _bleed _before! The Plegian never once caused the other to bleed (since his nose bled most of the time for him, anyways.) on purpose, despite what happened. Shouldn't he be _glad _that Henry was merciful enough to keep it at this level of harm?

Oh, how amusing this was.

It was even _more _amusing, when their masterful tactician just _happened _to pair them up for today's battles. Of all possible duos within the Ylissean Army, of all possible combinations of forces and soldiers...it _had _to be those two. Gaius was _extremely _appalled, and had begged the simple question out of irritation.

"_Why? _Why does it have to be me 'n' Henry today?"

Robin looked at him, somewhat unamused, and gave a small sigh. "Because I think you two would work well together. You could cover each other's weaknesses."

The Dark Mage was absolutely _delighted _by this idea, and gave a small clap. "Aha! But that's a _lot _to cover for just two people, don't cha think? Especially when Gaius could run off in the middle of the fight, looking for bees..."

The tactician quirked a brow, and stared at the ginger male as if awaiting an explanation. Gaius seemed slightly sheepish, but maintained his stubborn composure, nonetheless. "Looking for _bees? _What for, if I may ask?"

"Honey gathering, of course. It ain't as easy as it looks, and it's not just for me, either! The kitchen could use some ingredients."

"I know, but have you actually abandoned your post in battle in order to do such a thing?"

"'Course not, Bubbles! I usually do a little bit of wandering here and there before and after the fights, though..."

A sigh escaped Robin, and they just stared between the magic user and the sword wielder. One absolutely _hated _this arrangement, the other one couldn't love it more. They didn't know which was worse, but they _did _know that they couldn't work well together if they were at such odds. Even if it was just for a moment, Robin somehow had to make these two become a full on fighting machine, not a poorly drawn together machination out of the blue.

But how? How could they convince them to work together, if only just for a few hours? With pursed lips, the tactician stiffened up, and decided to go with an honest approach about things. "I'm honestly counting on you two, today. I really hope whatever personal squabbles you have can be put aside for now. Today's battles are going to be very important, and we really have to be in sync on this one. Please, just for this one time, please just try to work as best as you can."

Henry cheered something, along the lines of "Ooh! Let's do our best not to die a horrible death today~" while Gaius could be heard groaning, uttering out "Of _all _the stiffs to work with 'round here...guess it could be worse..."

This slightly amused the tactician, but worry still pulled at their mind. They gave a solemn nod to both of the units, and began their departure. Looking back, they cried out:

"And, if I hear that a single thing goes wrong, I'll talk to Chrom and have both of you on cleaning duties for a _month. _How does that sound?"

Perhaps it was the one thing that the two could agree on all day, and in different tones of voice, they both answered: "Just _great._"

* * *

><p>Out in the battlefield, things were much different than at camp. No matter what relationships fostered during time in the Barracks, everyone became amiable when faced against the enemy. When they only have each other in the dog eat dog world, things suddenly become a lot more...<em>simple. <em>At least, they should.

For Henry and Gaius, it seemed as if things would only get worse.

Gaius was fast paced, a closed combat fighter (for the most part) who relied on his speed and attack to get him to strike first and _hard, _therefore defeating the enemy as quickly as possible, whilst dodging any attack the enemy gives out.

Henry was more steadied, a Dark Mage and therefore _not _a closed quarters fighter by any means, and relied on his resilience and magic to have him strike from a distance, but strike in a manner to which they could not so easily retaliate.

If that amounted to anything, it was that instead of a compliant partnership, in which they cover each other's weaknesses-as Robin intended them to do-they were a competitive rivalry, seeing who could kill the most enemies out of all, not bothering with each other unless it meant killing another Risen in their place.

Perhaps it was more effective that way, but for the most part they seemed to be..._composed. _For now.

It was only a matter of time until one of them would crack. And boy, do even surfaces annoy Henry.

So he spoke up.

"Too bad you can't attack from afar~ One day, a bunch o' mages will _blow _your entire head off your body, and set the rest of ya on fire!"

The white-haired male cackled, casting Ruin on a few Risen cronies who were in the distance. They weren't even close to scraping Henry with the edge of their sword, but they fell over in pain and agony, screeching as they died a second time.

_How funny, _Henry thinks, _should I take an arm or a leg this time? _

Meanwhile, Gaius was hastily cutting away at a few Pegasus Knights (Risen ones, at that), before he decided to grace Henry with an answer.

"Heh, I could say the same about _you, _you know. Magic's good and all, but when it gets down to it-" _Slash, _goes the steel sword. Gaius finds that silver swords make a much quicker, cleaner cut, but Robin had advised him to use a weapon until the hilt itself fell apart and crumbled.

Well, it'll do it's job all the same. Mid-sentence, he was interrupted by a rather _rude _Dark Mage-not Henry, but a Risen counterpart of him-and he had decided a nice decapitation would suffice. When its unearthly head rolled away, he shot a glare back at the other.

"-one day, _you'll _get surrounded by a bunch of magic-resistant blockheads, and once your flashy tricks don't work, they'll eat ya for dinner."

Henry laughed, oh he loved to laugh, as he cast more spells on incoming foes. "Nothing is magic-resistant! Unlike your itty bitty _knives, _magic doesn't cut skin deep. It can touch you, right down _here!_" To make an example of this tirade, the boy had shot a bolt of Arc Thunder straight through the undead heart of a Risen. It fell to the ground, keeling backwards in yet another death.

This need to one-up each other intensified slightly, as the two males tried to spite each other by purposely avoiding enemies that were close to the other. Henry could have easily killed that Dark Mage Risen, but instead he let it scorch off the ends of Gaius' cape, as well as the back of his legs. Gaius could have offed one of the Fighter Risen, but instead let the dead man clock Henry in the side of his head, causing the male to keel over before setting the offender on fire.

It got to the point where, they might as well have been enemies, instead of allies.

It wasn't necessarily a one-sided fight, although Henry wished it to be. As much fun as the prospect of bothering Gaius seemed, it was starting to be less fun when the Plegian kept taking hits, kept facing enemies that shouldn't have been there to begin with. His eyes, dark and nearly as black as the magic itself, opened slightly, to get a good look at the other's conditions.

From the burns earlier, Gaius was suffering heavily, his speed reduced much to his dismay, and he couldn't rely on the tactics he usually relies on. Evasiveness, cunning, and swiftness-all were robbed as his mobility was severely impeded, and all because he would rather suffer these burns than attempt a benevolent alliance with Henry.

Why? For some stolen sweets? For a few pranks? Yes, Henry had caused immense sickness and random misfortunes to happen to Gaius, but it was never anything that caused _too _much misery.

In fact, up to now, the worse thing Henry had done was steal his sweets. The other things could always be overlooked, but to steal from a thief was unacceptable. However, that hardly stood up to the pain and misfortune that was burned legs and the effects of it: fiery pain that seared through his limbs, the cuts, scratches, and bruises that resulted in enemies overpowering him and outrunning him, and the overall fear and stress for the situation in general.

Was it worth it?

Henry focused on himself again, looking to see how he was doing. His magic was strong and potent, and while he attacked slough after slough of enemies, he found that they just _would not _stay down. What was it, that made these enemies so resilient? Did they have high magic resistance? Were his spells weakening in response to his body? Or was he just being sloppy? For each enemy that he killed, another rose to its place, and that fiend would attack Henry.

Dark Mages were prided for their high defense, considering their status as magic users. However, even they have their limit to how much physical damage they can receive. It would only take a few more swords, lances, axes, and bows to send Henry down. And between him and the already struggling Gaius, if one were to fall that would mean the end for the other, as well.

_I'm so careless sometimes~! Oops. _

The white haired male had burned through two tomes already, and was on his way to a third. He had brought four in all, and once his Nosferatu was gone, all he would have left is an Elfire, which wasn't enough for the amount of adversaries left.

_Well, lemme heal up a bit! _

Nosferatu was, perhaps, one of Henry's favorite spells. Not only did it deal decent damage, but it had a regenerative bonus which was _extremely _helpful in situations like these. Immediately, the boy had cast Nosferatu, and began to drain the life from his opponents. What had seemed to be an impossible fight, was now a possible one, as Risen screeched as their lives were drained, drained, _drained _like water from a faucet. Leaking away what undead energy they had, in order to bolster Henry's health...

_"**Die!**_" Henry yelled, casting more and more Nosferatu. While a powerful spell it was, because of that it ran out quickly. When the last page of the tome disappeared, the boy cursed, and took out his Elfire.

They had to run.

Suddenly, the thought of Gaius entered his head, and it occurred to Henry that he had disregarded his partner for too long. Hopefully he didn't die the horrible death like Henry said he would, but he couldn't tell from here. The battlefield was covered in Risen body parts, as well as burnt grassland and spattered blood. Henry couldn't tell whose was whose, but no doubt the blood of a _mage _and a _thief _was in the mix.

Speaking of which, where was that slippery scoundrel?

Henry ran past the dead bodies (fighting the urge to take their arms as mementos, for survival was _slightly _more important now. Slightly.) and looked for the ginger in question.

What he found was't so pretty.

The Nosferatu trick, while a great spell to have on their side, was a _horrible _one to face on your own. Especially if you were a hindered thief. Especially if you had low magic defense.

Most of the enemies around Gaius had been brought down, but the only ones that remained were the magic users.

_"One day, a bunch o' mages will **blow **off your entire head off your body, and set the rest of you on fire!" _

Was that...coming true now? Nosferatu tomes were evident in the hands of the attackers, and they were (in a way) surrounding Gaius. His steel sword was drenched in blood, but that wouldn't matter. Even if he cut down the mages one by one, the magic would bring him down, suck him dry. They were already doing that, as sinister flashes of purple and green shot forth at Gaius, making him yelp as they each hit. Stumbling backward, the thief found his hand unable to coil around the sword, and that's when Henry knew.

_He was going to die. _

The Plegian remembered that time, where he and Ricken discussed the Plegian soldiers that the Ylisseans had slaughtered. He had said at some point in the conversation, that he wouldn't care if anyone else in the army had died, but he would be angry if Ricken died.

While the second half of the sentence remained true, Henry was starting to doubt the right in the first part. If Robin died, he'd be sad. If Chrom died, he'd be kinda sad. If Frederick died, Henry would be happy that his training regimens would end, but he'd be sad nonetheless. If Olivia died, if Nowi died, if Tharja died...

_If Gaius died..._

...

_I'd be sad. _

In that moment, the boy thrust all he could into his Elfire. It got the attention of the mages, who turned from the weakened thief and unto him. Gaius blinked, confused by their sudden movements, and found his gaze shifting into Henry's direction. The latter had smiled at him, and yelled out:

"Come on, Honeybuns! Gonna give up already?"

Without waiting for Gaius' reaction, the Plegian had begun attacking the Risen, although he was outnumbered five to one. They roared out inhuman noises, and poised tomes in his direction-meaning to fight magic with magic.

The boy didn't remember how long it took, but he did remember that he managed to cut the odds down to two to one. A pair of dead Dark Mages, versus a singular living one. It should be easier now, right? All Henry had to do was kill them.

That is, if he had anything _to _kill them with. The last page of Elfire fell out, leaving the tome empty and useless. He dropped the book to the ground, and backed up. The opposition remained fully equipped, and started getting closer to Henry, much to his dismay.

"Oh, boy! I can tell, this is gonna hurt, huh?"

"It's only gonna hurt if you get in the way!"

Henry smiled, hearing that familiar voice. That courageous, adroit voice of his. Followed by the sound of a new sword being released from its sheath-by the sounds of it, it was a _silver _sword.

"Took ya long enough!"

Without even moving, Henry felt nothing but a soft spray of blood across his face, as the two Risen he once faced were killed on spot, cold blood spurting from the areas attacked. A quiet giggle, and a lick across his lips, he says "Mmm, blood~"

With that, the Plegian keeled over, finding no more strength left in him.

His vision became just like his magic.

_Black. _


	3. Breaks and Bones

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Awakening, nor anything in the Fire Emblem franchise!**

**Rating/Warnings: T. Swearing, dark themes, violence. If it's Henry, it's dark. **

**Pairings: Gaius/Henry. Platonic Henry/Ricken. Platonic Gaius/Robin. **

**Other: Gosh. I get wordy a lot, so apologies! Also, thank you Reminiscent Kitkat & DustedWithStars for reviews! You're very kind.**

* * *

><p>Gaius didn't remember how he got back to the other Shepherds. It was as if he was on auto-pilot, and his limbs were machines and not body parts that they were. Somehow, he had carried himself and the unconscious Henry back to camp. It took a lot of effort on his part, though. His burned legs weren't going to heal too soon, and combined with the weight of another person (albeit the weight of a <em>light <em>person, but weight was weight.) it made the pain almost unbearable.

The thief took so many breaks, so many chances to stop and breathe, he feared the nightfall would house them before any of the Ylisseans would. The last thing he wanted was to be stranded in the woods in the middle of the night. Risen, thieves, vagabonds, and worse tend to come out in the cover of the night, and in the state him and Henry both were, unless they got back immediately or instantly recovered, they were done for.

During one of his breaks, Gaius realized the reason he was taking so long was because he was carrying not only Henry, but his sack filled with candy and thieves' ware. If he continued to haul both things, he would never reach camp by sundown.

_One of them's gotta stay, _he realized, _gods dammit. _

Of course, he picked the living being over the inanimate goods; but it inconvenienced Gaius to have to leave that behind. Sure, the bag was filled to the brim with sweets, but it was also filled with all his best lockpicks, daggers, swords, cloths, and mementos. There was little chance that they would be able to return to this very location, and even if they did, there was even _less_ of a chance to be able to relocate this bag.

The ginger was quick to take what he needed. While his clothes were fully equipped with secret snacks, anyways, he added his best tarts and biscuits to the mix. He took a keychain he's had since he was little, his best Silver Sword, a few lockpicks, and an old photo of himself when he was a child.

When he was innocent.

The added weight was minimal, compared to the major loss of weight from the sack left behind. Once he was settled, he picked the unconscious Plegian back up again, and hoisted him on his back.

It was an understatement to sayhis legs hurt. Despite this, it would be nearly miraculous if he remembered any of it in the morning. His legs were heavy, but his head was light.

Never a good combination to have.

Thus, what seemed like an eternity passed, as Gaius' quiet footsteps into the darkening horizon ensued. The only sounds that he was aware of at the time was the sound their breaths, the birds, and the ground crumpling under his feet.

He had nearly fallen unconscious himself, until he felt a change in the ground's texture. The soft grassland and forest shifted into a more rocky and dirty path, lined with concrete and barren.

The low buzz of...of _something_ (it was hard to decipher, considering the extreme fatigue that set in the thief.)lay further in the distance, and Gaius could have _sworn_ he heard Vaike.

_Shepherds' Camp?! Thank the Gods! I'm gonna pray with Padre for the rest of my life if so..._

Another step was taken, but the thief wobbled. There was no way in _hell _he'd reach the innards of the camp. Even through exhausted eyes, he could see the thin outline of tents in the distance, the bright lights of lamps and fires, wavering as he felt the remnants of his strength leave him.

Lady Luck suddenly seemed to favor Gaius, however. A voice called out to him, accompanied by equally frantic footsteps:

"Gaius?! Is that you?"

Through distorted vision, he could see someone approaching him, bounding down the path madly. The only thing he could make out distinctly were long robes, and a large book hidden within the robes themselves.

_Robin._

"Bubbles? 'S me."

"Holy crap! It _is _you! Lissa, go get more help-"

"Got it, Robin! I'll get Maribelle too! Hang on, thiefy!"

Lissa was there, too? He'd have to thank Princess later, if he could remember it. But he'd worry about that later; he fulfilled his task, he had reached the safety of his fellow Shepherds. If that was all he needed to do, then there was no reason why he should continue to stay conscious.

A small smile laced his features, and he stumbled forward, falling on his knees.

"...Su...gar..."

And he blacked out, falling ungraciously so.

* * *

><p>The thief woke up in a cold sweat, experiencing a vivid dream that, despite its intensity, could not be remembered when he tried to think about it. He forgot about it for now, as he pressed a hand against his face, panting for breath.<p>

In that moment, he could hear movement near him.

_Wait, _he thinks, _get it together. Before you do something stupid, think. _

Breathing in and out, Gaius tried to assert the situation before having the need to ask. He lifted his head up slightly, taking a look around him. From the smell of alcohol and blood, he could tell that it was a healing tent. Now, who's healing tent? Princess'? Twinkles'? Or a generic healer, who was probably scared out of their mind since they were healing Gaius the Nimble?

The last part, of course, being a hopeful thought on his part.

He decided to worry about location later, and focus on himself. Was he hurting? Was he better? He couldn't tell if he was tired or not, so he earnestly tried to move to see how injured he was.

The minute his leg shifted, he felt a bitter pain, and reeled backward as a result of it.

Conclusion: His legs hurt, _badly._

For a minute, he couldn't do anything except experience how dreadful his burns and other injuries were. Small noises of displeasure escaped, and Gaius realized just how ghastly he was, health-wise. A burning sensation ran up his legs, slightly dulled but strenuous nonetheless.

But he also felt cold, and it was because of the tent flap which was open slightly ajar; combined with the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, therefore exposing his damaged body furthermore.

But that wasn't even the main issue. If he was shirtless, that means someone would see the tattoo. He had shown it to Robin by accident once; he'd prefer that no one else would have to see it.

Just as he was scrambling for a shirt (not realizing there was a blanket over himself), he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. All thievery should have prepared him for this; to remain solid, unflinching, silent. But he was neither, and a slight jolt accompanied with a whimper was the result of such a sudden action.

_Gods, how embarrassing._

The ginger looked up to see his 'assailant', and in the dim light, he could make out a familiar face.

"Bubbles," he calls out hoarsely, coughing.

The tactician nodded in assent, and took a seat next to his bedside. "How're you feeling, Gaius?"

"Shitty," Gaius admits, burying his face in his hands in frustration, "really shitty."

Robin sighed, and gave an apologetic look. "I'm sorry to hear that. You're in really bad shape, though, so I wouldn't expect any less..."

"...Did they see it?"

"Huh? Who's 'they'? See what?"

The thief groaned quietly, before answering.

"The healers. Did they see my tattoo?"

"Oh, no. That's why I'm here-I insisted I come do this part myself. We kept a promise, remember?" They smiled slightly, and gave a pat on Gaius' bare back. The warm hand contrasted greatly with his cool skin-skin which he did not expect to be cool at all, considering the circumstances.

"Damn. Almost forgot about that. Thanks." He mutters out, feeling genuinely grateful. While he played it off as a minor thing when it happened, he really _wouldn't _want anyone knowing about it. His reputation in camp was already shot, no need to worsen it with a permanent mark of his dark past.

"No problem," Robin answers, picking up some gauze. "Bandaging is the easy part, anyways. Maribelle showed me how to do this. I'll even cover up your tattoo, so she won't see it."

"I really owe you one, Bubbles."

"No, don't." They interject, frowning slightly. "It's my fault that you're like this, anyways."

"Whattaya mean?"

"I mean, when I sent you and Henry out-"

"Now, wait a darn second. That's _not _your fault. It's our fault-maybe my fault in particular-because we couldn't get along. I'm in the wrong here, Bubbles, not you." Gaius insisted, speaking quickly so as to show his integrity; his truthfulness. He stared at them straight in the eye as he said this, shifting uncomfortable in his cot.

Robin assented a hum of understanding, before starting to wrap gauze around the thief. "That's surprisingly noble of you, Gaius. But that's not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?"

"I meant, I shouldn't have just sent the two of you alone. That area was rumored to be heavily infested with Risen, and I was so focused on the front lines that I ignored the sidelines. It wasn't just you and Henry that got the bad of it-Cordelia and Gregor were assigned to the opposite side of you guys, and they suffered nearly as bad. They just got here sooner."

That lengthy talk exhausted the male, and he took it upon himself to ponder for a minute or two. He closed his eyes, as he felt the tactician's hands wrap bandage around his body. The arm where the tattoo was (thank Gods that Robin exists. Seriously.), the injuries on his other arm and neck, the cuts on his back...all were tended to, mended with simple remedies. What wasn't bandaged was washed out with concoction, and it stung to say the least.

After a few painful yelps, Gaius decides to speak (in order to cope with said pain.). "...It's not your fault, Bubbles. I'm serious when I say that. And I don't wanna hear you keep fighting against that."

Robin paused, looking down as the thief uttered these words. They said nothing, however, and simply moved down to inspect Gaius' legs, remaining uncharacteristically quiet.

"..."

"..."

"...Alright, I'll stop. It's just, hard, y'know? I don't know if I have what it takes to be this army's strategist..."

"...Robin..."

They sigh, and say no more on that subject. They resign themselves to wrapping the gauze slowly and carefully around his legs, the part they tastefully left to be last due to the burns he had. Gaius didn't know why, but for some reason the gauze itself felt distressful; sharp stings and acute burning sensations were felt and worsened with each loop of gauze Robin implemented, and after a distasteful recoil, he snapped:

"Gods dammit! That hurts!"

The tactician stared for a moment, looking apologetic, but moving on from the moment. They place a blanket over Gaius, placing the roll of gauze on a table. "It's the burn medicine that's hurting you. It's painful, but necessary."

The ginger sighed, and tried to relax despite his edginess. It took a few seconds longer than he'd like, but he positioned himself on his back, stretching out sore limbs and the like. A puff of breath was released, blowing some of his coral-colored locks upwards.

"Gotcha. I've had worse before, believe it or not."

"Mmm. I believe you," Robin whispers, before standing to their feet.

"I'm done with my part. I'll get Maribelle to do the finishing touches."

"Twinkles'll be here? That woman's stiffer than her parasol."

"Be that as it may, she kept you safe for the most part. Initially, it was _her _treatment that lead you to this tent...be a little grateful, won't you?"

"Alright, alright. I'll ease up, Bubbles."

Gaius' answer was appeasing enough, and they decided that now as the time to leave. They quickly turned towards the entrance, and walked forward with a confident stride. Lingering near the opening, their dark gaze was redirected towards the thief, an unreadable expression on their face.

"Rest well. And try not to do anything reckless."

"Will do, Bubbles."

Robin gave a lasting nod, before parting the tent flaps, therefore exposing the night sky. From what Gaius could see at that angle, there were many stars on this particular evening, and the moon was in near full.

A mild breeze passed through, moving the flaps of the tent, as well as the skirt. Robin's hair was tousled slightly, and even the thief could feel gusts of low winds enter the tent.

It was nice. The lull of sleep, calm of the breeze, and presence of the camp. A thief would usually rely on themselves, and their consorts (if any), so the idea of unity-the precipice which they built the Ylissean Army on-was more or less muddled in his mind.

For now, he realized what a _privilege _it was, to have friends and partners like these. To be alive in times like these; to be a part of this like he was.

_It was so sweet._

* * *

><p><em>Drip, drip. <em>

Oh, _that _was a sound Henry knew well. The sound of blood, guts, and _worse, _sliding and slipping until they crashed onto the concrete floors. The sound of life falling away, and dropping into the heavy cage of _death..._he knew this sound.

The question was, why was he hearing it? Was he dying _again? _How could that be, when-

Right, right, _right. _The battle. The hoity-toity, childish need to show up Gaius (and vice versa) thus resulting in getting their asses _kicked. _That's why he was so near death; so decreasing in life.

It was being pulled away from him.

He remembered breathing, and that his breaths were short and rapid. He had remembered a flying sensation, where a cool breeze was drifting below him, and the warmth of someone's body was near him. If he died and went to heaven, then he'd be fine with that.

But alas, he could tell he wasn't in heaven. The first clue was Henry himself; a sinner like him would _never _reach beyond those pearly gates, never be accepted into eternal respite and euphoria.

The second clue was the fact that he could hear Ricken yelling again, as well as the tiny mage's hurried footsteps in his direction. The Plegian used all his strength to muster a smile, before his head lulled to the side and he felt nothing again.

This was _so _tiring.

* * *

><p>The second Henry felt consciousness, he grasped it in his hand, and forcibly tried to wake himself up.<p>

When he did, it wasn't a pleasant thing.

A gripping fervor clenched his entire body; his heart began racing, mind reeling too quickly for him to understand. His breath hitched slightly, and he brought his hands over his mouth to prevent himself from gagging.

He allowed a few moments to pass by, before deciding to try and get up. He didn't realize it, but he was absolutely _freezing. _A cold terror had shaken his core, and involuntary shivers from the outside wind had only helped to worsen the matter.

Goodness, this was miserable.

When lying up in bed, the Dark Mage temporarily fluttered his eyes open, in order to get a true understanding of what was going on. The Plegian discovered that the tent flaps were left wide open, and he was staring straight out of them where the rest of the camp was visible. According to the darkness that engulfed the encampment, it was late at night, and hardly anyone was awake.

So, where did that leave Henry? Alone in a healer's tent, without so much as a healer providing over him. Or maybe they were here earlier, but the boy had missed them in his slumber.

_Well, that's just hunky dory! Dunno why everyone needs to sleep when they're gonna die in the future, anyways! Then they'd sleep forever!_

The mage giggled to himself, and straightened himself out as he remained in the cot. The temperature suddenly became wary to him, and his teeth began to chatter. Grasping desperately for the cloth blanket, he brought it up as high as it would go, as he burrowed into himself to gain warmth.

Whoever was here was gone now, or would be back later. Normally, Henry would go out to purposefully give the healers a hard time, but tonight he seemed to be merciful.

He would just lie down, watch the stars from his spot, and hopefully fall back asleep.

The first two happened easily; the night sky was quite the spectacle, and the cots in the healer tents were _especially _comfy. The third happened much later, when the stars had dimmed and the sky was lighting up. By the time the Dark Mage started to get drowsy, he could already hear the morning patrols run out of _their _tents (and making a goddamn noisy fit out of it.).

And, just like before, he blacked out. The last thing he heard before slipping away was the low mutter of voices outside his tent, as well as footsteps nearing towards him. A single voice blurted out something, and all Henry could make out was:

"...Henry?"


End file.
